Vehicular smoke chokes city

Environment dept report shows over 5k penalised in 4 months

LAHORE:

The provincial capital has the highest number of smoke-emitting vehicles plying on its roads in Punjab, aggravating environment pollution despite the traffic police’s efforts to protect the citizens from the hazard.

The Punjab Environment Protection Department has compiled a district-wise report of the past four months, showing that then highest number of smoke-emitting vehicles is found on Lahore's roads.

According to the report, 5,113 smoke-emitting vehicles were fined during the period in Lahore.

Multan ranked second and Faisalabad third among the cities of the province affected by vehicular smoke.

The report showed that the emission of smoke from vehicles was the most serious environmental problem in the big cities of Punjab, where the traffic police and district governments appear helpless to stop vehicles violating the safety standards from coming onto the roads.

The Lahore High Court had recently ordered impounding of the smoke-emitting vehicles while hearing a petition seeking remedial steps against smog in Punjab.

LHC Justice Shahid Karim had ordered the traffic police to launch action against smoke-emitting vehicles and also inform the departments concerned about the issue.

According to officials, the use of substandard engines is a major reason of smog and environmental pollution in Lahore and other big cities.

Several incidents of fire breaking out on roads during the summer season have also been attributed to the substandard engines.

The report of the environment department described the action taken against the smoke-emitting vehicles at the district level. It covered data collected in this regard during the past four months.

It showed that Lahore was at the top of the list, where 5,113 vehicles were found emitting smoke during the period and fined. Multan district followed with 2,520 vehicles fined and Faisalabad with 2,047.

The number of vehicles whose owners faced action over the violation in Gujranwala was 1,323, Bhakkar 1,107, Mianwali 1,102, Khanewal 863, Sargodha 811, Chiniot 729, Gujrat 698, Sheikhupura 603, Layyah 590 and Toba Tek Singh 520.

The number of vehicles chalanned in Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar was 383 each, Rahim Yar khan 183, Dera Ghazi Khan 122, Muzaffargarh 422, Rajanpur 311, Jhang 213, Nankana Shaib 117, Kasur 496, Pakpattan 46, Okara 278, Sahiwal 309, Khushab 18, Jhelum 81, Chakwal 316, Attock 338, Rawalpindi 231, Lodhran 359 and Vehari 351.

A senior official of the Punjab Environment Department told The Express Tribune that a major campaign would be launched against smoke-emitting vehicles across Punjab jointly by the traffic police and the department in line with the court orders.

An environmentalist, Dr Munawar Sabir, said more than 40 per cent of the environmental pollution in Lahore and
other big cities was caused by the use of substandard engines in vehicles.

“There is a need for serious action against such vehicles throughout the year.

The data in this report also shows that Lahore's air is mostly polluted by the smoke-emitting vehicles, which remain on the roads even during the peak smog season,” he added.

The expert said barring smoke-emitting vehicles from the roads in the big cities would help curb pollution in the province to a large extent.

He said it was alarming how such vehicles travelled on the highways and motorways where police officials were deputed. “It appears that there are flaws in the traffic monitoring system that should be addressed,” he added.